Gab Chabrán
Food & Culture Writer
(he/him)
Gab Chabrán is a lifelong resident of Southern California. He grew up in Whittier, where he attended Whittier College. He began his journalism career writing for the local music rag L.A. Record where he wrote album and live music reviews. He became a regular contributor at L.A. Taco, where he was part of the James Beard Award-winning team. His monthly music column "Taco de Sonido", profiled up-and-coming artists from the Latinx community. He's been a regular contributor to LAist, Eater LA, Thrillist, Los Angeleno, KCET Artbound, and The New York Times.
My approach to coverage is to discover how food connects us to the ever-so-layered social fabric of Southern California and how food tells the region's story. Every dish has its historical significance. A taco is not just a taco; it's a window to the Mexican Revolution. Pizza is not just pizza; it's the vehicle for immigrants to enter the restaurant game. Noodles aren't just noodles; it's the personification of generational conflict and perseverance. My framework for writing and assigning stories aims to highlight the rich cultural histories of the L.A. region and broaden the LAist platform further to include, but not exclusive to, previously overlooked populations that exist beyond the confines of the city-area proper yet remain vital to its existence.
-
Puerto Rican mofongo, Armenian tortas, and Guatemalan street food north of the 101 Freeway. -
Asha Starks, owner of Hot Grease, is honoring a Black tradition on her home turf — the OC. -
From square pan pizzas to Oaxacan tlayudas and ceviche on the beach, we've rounded up a few of our favorite spots. -
Yes it is! No it’s not! Okay, let’s call the whole thing off (while sipping coffee at this great spot we know). -
The craft brewery, along with Truly LA bar restaurant, will have reduced hours until next April.. -
The review site released its 100 top sandwich spots, with five in SoCal. But they weren’t the usual contenders. -
L.A. and coffee are synonymous, but how does it compare to other major U.S. cities? -
With several locations across LA, fans love Win-Dow’s tasty smashburgers — closely followed by their great prices. -
Greenbar Distillery wants to make your home cocktail a breeze. -
It’s the cheeseburger event of the summer this weekend at Smorgasburg LA.
Stories by Gab Chabrán
Support for LAist comes from